Answers to Questions about Chiropractic:
Why Is My Spine "Misaligned" Despite 22 Years
of Chiropractic Treatment?

Samuel Homola, D.C.

Question

I am a 35-year-old woman who began seeing a chiropractor at
age 12 after bending over to retrieve a stick and not being able
to stand up again. According to my chiropractor, my spine is constantly
misaligned, no matter how frequently or infrequently I get an
adjustment.

My chiropractor doesn't claim to do miracles. He just adjusts
my spine and pushes a few vitamins on me. However, I wish my back
pain would go away for more than a few hours at a time. Is there
a condition that causes this kind of problem? Do you have any
suggestions on how to get lasting relief? I can hardly stand the
thought living with back pain for the rest of my life.

Answer

I cannot tell from our question whether your spine is actually
misaligned or whether any misalignment is related to your symptoms.
Many chiropractors find "misalignments" ("subluxations")
that are not significant and are unrelated to the cause of back
pain. Except in rare cases, a diagnosis of subluxation is not
appropriate and often means that the cause of the pain is not
being addressed. Moreover, real structural misalignments, such
as scoliosis, cannot be modified by chiropractic treatment.

It is also possible that your chiropractic treatment is responsible
for your pain. Excessive, unnecessary, or inappropriate manipulation
can actually aggravate a structural, degenerative, or arthritic
problem. Try stopping your treatment for several months and see
how you get along. If your pain goes away, don't worry about
the alignment of your spine.

Regardless, it would be prudent to seek a medical diagnosis
that will explain your pain and steer you to the correct direction
to get relief. The best specialist to see first would be an orthopedist.
If your chiropractor has obtained x-ray films of your back, try
to bring them to the first orthopedic visit.

Please let me know what happens to you.

____________________

Dr. Homola is a second-generation chiropractor who has dedicated
himself to defining the proper limits on chiropractic and to educating
consumers and professionals about the field. His 1963 book Bonesetting, Chiropractic, and Cultism
supported the appropriate use of spinal manipulation but renounced
chiropractic dogma. His 1999 book Inside
Chiropractic: A Patient's Guide provides an incisive look
at chiropractic's history, benefits, and shortcomings. Now retired
after 43 years of practice, he lives in Panama City, Florida.